Dear Juno (or any other teenager in a similar situation), It is not my intention to come off as mean or harsh but there is only one way to hopefully put an end to future unwanted teen pregnancies, and that is by being straightforward and talking about it. With that being said, why wouldn’t you take the necessary precautions to not get pregnant? You could have really saved yourself minutes, hours, days, even months of trouble or emotional distress by simply taking just a few minutes to purchase/use a condom, get a birth control shot or get on the birth control pill for free. Or simply, don’t engage in the act if you are not prepared, self control! It’s really that simple. I understand that some were never given “the talk” at home or school, and although for that reason you aren’t fully or rightfully educated on the matter of sexual activities, I believe that it is only logical to know that having sex results in a baby. Where else would a baby come from? Do people honestly believe that babies appear on people’s doorsteps, dropped off my the stork? In my opinion the lack of education only applies to not knowing how STDs are spread, what normally happens or what is the norm during intercourse, etc., not on what makes a baby. Knowing that, you (and others) must acknowledge the huge choice that you are making and the risks that you are taking. Be aware of the possible consequences that can drastically change your life. I really hope that you and anyone else who is having sex takes the appropriate precautions to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. In a scenario where a pregnancy was not prevented, I believe that what regarding the possible new life, there is no “right choice”. The “right choice” really depends on the conditions of the person’s life; whether or not they have support and help, the age, finance, etc. In your specific case, I highly respect you and your choice of carrying the baby, giving birth, and providing another women with a baby that she had always wanted. It was evident that an abortion was personally not the correct decision for you when you ran out of the planned parenthood center. Being only sixteen, in high school, and living in a tight space with your parents, keeping the baby would’ve been difficult for you and the child. Personally, for your situation you did good the way I see it. You took responsibility. Overall, well done! you handled things maturely. - Jessica Perez Diaz
It is not my intention to come off as mean or harsh but there is only one way to hopefully put an end to future unwanted teen pregnancies, and that is by being straightforward and talking about it. With that being said, why wouldn’t you take the necessary precautions to not get pregnant? You could have really saved yourself minutes, hours, days, even months of trouble or emotional distress by simply taking just a few minutes to purchase/use a condom, get a birth control shot or get on the birth control pill for free. Or simply, don’t engage in the act if you are not prepared, self control! It’s really that simple. I understand that some were never given “the talk” at home or school, and although for that reason you aren’t fully or rightfully educated on the matter of sexual activities, I believe that it is only logical to know that having sex results in a baby. Where else would a baby come from? Do people honestly believe that babies appear on people’s doorsteps, dropped off my the stork? In my opinion the lack of education only applies to not knowing how STDs are spread, what normally happens or what is the norm during intercourse, etc., not on what makes a baby.
Knowing that, you (and others) must acknowledge the huge choice that you are making and the risks that you are taking. Be aware of the possible consequences that can drastically change your life. I really hope that you and anyone else who is having sex takes the appropriate precautions to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. In a scenario where a pregnancy was not prevented, I believe that what regarding the possible new life, there is no “right choice”. The “right choice” really depends on the conditions of the person’s life; whether or not they have support and help, the age, finance, etc. In your specific case, I highly respect you and your choice of carrying the baby, giving birth, and providing another women with a baby that she had always wanted. It was evident that an abortion was personally not the correct decision for you when you ran out of the planned parenthood center. Being only sixteen, in high school, and living in a tight space with your parents, keeping the baby would’ve been difficult for you and the child. Personally, for your situation you did good the way I see it. You took responsibility. Overall, well done! you handled things maturely.
- Jessica Perez Diaz